Jar-closure.



D; KNOWLTON. JAR CLOSURE. APPLICATION FILED DBO. a, 1909.

. Patented Aug. 23, 1910.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

J Alt-CLOSURE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 23, 1910.

Application filed December 8, 1909. Serial No. 531,998.

[it all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DALLAS KNOWLTON, a citizen of the United States, residing at the city of Washington, in the District of Columbia, have invented new and useful Improvements in J ar-Closures, ofwhich the following is a specification.

My invention relates to hermetically sealed closures for glass jars, bottles, tumblers and the like, and has especial reference to pressure cap closures, otherwise known as vacuum closures.

An object of my invention is to so construct a closure means, which when the cap is pressed downwardly in the act of sealing the jar it will exert a properly applied lateral pressure or compresslon upon the gasket or washer employed, in a manner to obtain a perfect seal without a tendency to displacement or distortion of the gasket.

A further object of my invention is to provide a substantially vertical seat. for said gasket that is formed inte ral with the jar by an easily formed annu ar head, that is inexpensive to provide.

Another object of my invention is to provide a seal, in which the ordinary normally flat and thin washer now employed in the Mason type of jar can be utilized without change to provide a vertically disposed seal.

A further object of my invention is to provide in connection with'the pressing cap, a venting means, that will aid in the application of the cap during the exhausting and sealing operation, as well as assisting in the operation of the release and removal of the cap, after a vacuum has been obtained.

In the hermetical sealing of jars by means of a gasket and com ression ca a common type of closure has een that in which the sealing pressure has been applied to the gasket at an angle with the direction in which the cap moves, while effecting the seal, thereby involving a wedging action or closure. In carr ing out such wedging action or closure p an it has been found that the more nearly the ressin surfaces approach a parallel relation to t c direction of movement of the cap, the greater the difliculty of maintaining the cap in a level position upon the gasket not only during the sealing operation but in the subsequent handling or transportation of the sealed j ar, Furthermore, the nearer the pressing surfaces approach a parallel relation to the movement of the cap, the more the frictional contact between the cap and the washer tends to cause the displacement of the latter in the direction of movement of the cap.

It is therefore a purpose of this invention to provide a construction 'and arrangement of closure elements that will admit the bringing of the pressing surfaces into substantially parallel relatlon to the direction of movement of the cap, with a "roperly applied pressure on the sealing mem r, i. 6., whereby the washer is compressed by a biting contact with its seat to provide a seal of reduced contact through which air cannot pass in a manner to ositively hold the sealing member from isplacement while maintaining the ca This is accomplished without the employment of the special-construction of reinforcing shoulders recesses and the like, that have hitherto been proposed.

To this end my invention consists generally of a means for supporting and retaining the working face-of a sealing'gasket or washer in a plane substantially coincident with the direction of movement of the ca while allowing of its compression at substantially right-angles to the movement of the cap. Said means involves the employment of an annular guide and seating ring or head extending laterally from the jar together with the utilization of the pressure of elasticity of the slightly stretched gasket for retaining itself in position on the laterally extending reduced contact portion of said head, against the resistance of which hugging action the frictional contact of the pressin cap has a non-effect in its tendency to disp acement while the increasing effect of lateral pressure of said cap at right angles to its line of movement, produces a properly applied pressure in the compression of the seal to secure a closure.

That my invention may be better understood I have illustrated n the accom anying drawings one form of embodiment in a level position.

thereof, without intending, however, to limit cap and sealing gasket in separation. Fig.

parts the designates the upper body portion of the jar, which is made preferably of glass pressed into shape, and which is shown as aving formed exteriorly on its neck 6, a

short distance below its top or mouth 7, a

circumferential or annular rib or bead 8,

that is preferably V'-shapled or cone-shaped in cross-section, and whic serves as a means for supporting, retaining and seating the sealing gasket 1n the required vertical plane. The bead thus shaped is so positioned that its oint 9, projects substantially at rightang es from the neck of the jar. In connection with the jar thus constructed I em-- ploy the gasket or washer 10, which comprises the ordinary normallyflat thin elastic ring, and which constitutes the sealing member of this closure device.

In the normal application of the gasket orwasher to the'neck of the jar, it is seated as shown in Fi 2, so as to be stretched 'over and about t e reduced contact. portion or point 9 of the bead 8, while the overlapping extensions of said asket project above and below said point. t will be observed that the gasket is disposed not only to provide a substantially vertical working face of reduced circular contact but said washer hugs its laterally extending seat in a manner to give it stability of position.

11, designates a cup-shaped cover or pres sure-cap, that is made or struck up from thin metal, to provide a top ortion 12, and

an integral de endin 'res' ient flange or rim 13, that is cumferential edge 14, and which provides sure contact with said WaSher at a that the inner diameter of same will be sufiicient to allow the ca to be brought in such relationship and a justment with the washer as to gentl press down the lower overlappin extension of the latter into a substantia y verticalplane without permitting the lower edge of the cap to catch or bite into'the washer, while the inner diameter of the cap above the. flared portion thereof is of less diameter than the combined diameter of the gasket and supportin and seating member, whereby the inner wa of the flange is brought into lateral presoint opposite the abutting projection 9,'o the head 8, to provide a circle of contact with increasing pressure as the cap is pressed ared s ightly at its free cirdownwardly. In the hermeti cal sealing of a to cushion in opposition to t e proper seat ing of the compression cap. Therefore, to asslst 1n exhausting the air from the space 7 between the surface of the liquid and the top of the cap, I provide oppositely disposed vent holes 15, that are so located that the air 1pocketed can escape therethrough during t e initial downward movement of the cap in the closing operation but which vent holes on account of their location near the lowermost or flared portion of the flan e, will be carried to'a point just below the ead where they will be effectively closed by the outer face of the washer, when the cap is pushed to the limit of its downward movement. These vent holes, likewise will serve to aid in the release and removal of the cap after a vacuum or partial vacuum has been obtained, in that the slightest movement of the ca u ward again brin the holes above the head 8, and in open re ation with the interior of the jar, to thereby cause the destruction of the vacuum and allow of the ready release of the-cap.

The operation of applying the cap is a parent from the foregoing description, wh c it will be observed that upon pressing the cap down after it has been brought in the adjustment shown in Fi 2, the washer is bent downwardly over t e projection 9, of the head, in such a manner that the point not only forms a supportin seat in the proper plane that is washer ment that bites into the contacting portion of the washer thereby providin by its em- ,bedment an added retaining e ect on the washer to resist the thrust and frictional contact of the downpressing flange of the caflp, which in turn produces a comnpression e ect on the washer at substantia y vright angles to .its line of travel, with a correspondin increase in the lateral strain upon the wa s of the flange of the cap as it is pressed to its downward limit of a justment 1n the closingoperation. Thus it will be observed that the washer is positively held from downward displacement ordistortion during the operation of cap closure or compression, while there is provided a reliable and perfect seal.

Having described my invention, what I desire to claim as new and. useful is:

-In combination, a jar having an annular vertical neck, an external bead triangular shaped in cross-section to form a sharp outer edge, a free, flat rubber gasket resting on the sharp outer edge of the bead, a cupshaped cap, flaring at its lower edge, having ugged y the elasticut which presents a form of abut perforations just above the flared edge for In testimony whereof I have hereunto set the esca of air when the cap is being my hand in presence of two subscribing witseated, t e cap adapted to cause a biting ennesses. 7 gagement of the gasket with the sharp edge DALLAS KNOWLTON. of the shoulder and the perforations being Witnesses:

below the bead when the cap is in sealing JOSEPH W. Bum,

position on the jar, for the purpose set forth. HUGH M. STERLING. 

